Turkey Brining                                                        PDF Version for easy printing

Note: fresh turkeys usually take up to half as long to cook! Start monitoring your turkey halfway through the cooking process.

For the brine:

For the aromatics:

Combine all the brine ingredients except the ice water in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool at room temperature and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you would like to eat: Combine the brine, water and ice in a 5-gallon bucket. Place the fresh or thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the turkey to ensure it is fully immersed, cover and refrigerate or set in a cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the turkey once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Removed the turkey from the brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the turkey on a roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound turkey should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roast. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.